If you missed last week’s Awkward Afternoon episode—We’ve got you. Robert and Josh discussed perfectionism and how it applies to us musicians. Here are three pitfalls of being a musician perfectionist:

Burnout. Aiming for constant musical achievement can shift creating music into joyless routine rather than the delight and comfort that it should be. Enter the burnout.

Performance Anxiety. Holding oneself to an unattainable standard can lead to anxiety around performing and the possibility of making a mistake.

Procrastination. The fatigue and the anxiety in combination can develop into an avoidance of performing or even practicing. Add in negative self-talk and it’s a recipe for leaving behind an experience that is supposed to create joy and pride.

Mistakes happen. Setting realistic goals and learning from errors in your playing can evolve you into a stronger player, a player who understand they are human and that the goal of music making is to express an art form and to move people. It’s magic.

SO, do NOT beat yourself up for a mistake. Learn from it, listen to others feedback and move forward.

#iplayhere